Gap seal for building structures

ABSTRACT

A permanently functional gap seal on structures, in particular building structures, ensures a reliable seal against penetrating moisture. A cover layer has a profile which can be adapted to an installation situation over a joint or on an inner or outer corner. The device has a central part and side wings on both sides of the central part. The side wings have contact surfaces with which they are adhesively attached to the building structures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 09/878,900, filed Jun. 11, 2001, which is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety; the application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent applications 100 28 202.4, of Jun. 9, 2000; 200 15 845.7 of Jun. 9, 2000; and 100 50 113.3 of Oct. 9, 2000; the foreign applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gap seal on a structure, in particular a building structure, using a water-tight cover disposed over a joint of structure, a corner of a structure, or on an offset part of a structure.

Building-structure seals against moisture from the ground and against water which does or does not exert hydrostatic pressure in accordance with DIN 18 195 are known, for example, as “unlined tanking” made of water-impermeable concrete or as “lined tanking” made of seals which retain pressurized or built-up water. Such building-structure seals are made of bitumen sheeting and plastic sheet material with or without a fabric insert or a thick asphalt coating with or without a fabric insert. Some of the sealing measures mentioned above in the above DIN document are regarded as not corresponding to the recognized rules of technology, with the result that, despite such building-structure seals being installed in accordance with DIN, structural damage may be produced by penetrating moisture. A relatively high risk of structural damage is brought about here by the known susceptibility to deficiencies and/or damage of drainage systems.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,250 to Black describes a gap seal. There, a water-tight tape is placed over a soft, malleable sealant, and the tape seals against a first and a second structure (e.g., a bathtub and a wall). Only a limited amount of movement between the two structures is allowed, in the context of Black's gap seal and proper sealing is no longer assured when the two structures shift relative to one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a gap seal on building structures which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods for sealing a gap on building structures. It is an object of the invention to make available a permanently functional building-structure seal, in particular in conjunction with a thick asphalt coating, which ensures a reliable seal even against water which exerts hydrostatic pressure, in particular with cohesive soil without drainage, and for structural joints where the members are subject to considerable amounts of relative movement.

The invention is straightforward, cost-effective and makes available a permanently functional building-structure seal.

The above objects are achieved according to the invention by way of a water tight sealing profile with a relatively soft central part with two sides and relatively hard side wings at the two sides.

With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a gap seal for a building structure, comprising:

a water-tight profile strip having a central part and side wings integrally formed laterally on said central part;

said side wings being formed of a relatively hard, relatively rigid material;

said central part being formed of a relatively soft, elastic material and having a material reserve allowing said side wings to move laterally apart from one another while remaining integrally connected with said central part.

A sealant may be placed in the gap area, but it is not necessary anymore in light of the novel configuration of the gap seal profile. In that case, the sealant forms a continuous, cured sealing layer between the contact surfaces and a building structure, once the profile has been subjected to pressure. The sealant can be a resin which cures to a tough state or a resin which cures to an elastic state.

Another feature of the instant invention is that the central part is at least partially elastic.

Another feature of the instant invention is that the profile have profiled contact surfaces on the side wings.

Another feature of the instant invention is that the side wings have different wing widths.

Another feature of the instant invention is that the cover layer is disposed over a joint of a building, in or in front of a corner of a building or on an offset part of a building.

This solution makes available a permanently functional building-structure seal, in particular in conjunction with a thick asphalt coating and/or in conjunction with two building structures that a subject to considerable shifting, which ensures a reliable seal even against water which exerts hydrostatic pressure, in particular with cohesive soil without drainage. Provided at the same time is a particularly straightforward-to-install, and thus absolutely water-tight, solution for corner seals of upright structural parts and concave moldings on foundations, attics, balconies, showers, window sills, terrace terminations and also for roof surfaces, cap flashing pieces, strip fittings for bridges, parking decks and, in addition, also for settlement joints.

Since the cover layer includes a profile which is, or can be, adapted to an installation situation over a joint or on an inner or outer corner and has a central part and side wings disposed on both sides of the central part, and at least the side wings have, over their length, contact surfaces for coating with a sealant, it is possible, by virtue of the selection of the sealant, for example resin or adhesive, and the method of applying the same, be this by brush application, spraying or filling, to achieve an optimized gap seal to solve virtually any conceivable problem. Also, any gaps which may be present beneath the profile also being filled by the sealant.

In the case in which sealant is provided, the sealant forms a continuous, cured sealing layer, once the profile has been subjected to pressure, between the common contact surfaces of the gap seal and a building structure, said sealing layer having a minimum layer thickness which prevents moisture from penetrating between the profile and a wall, ceiling, or a floor.

Depending on the use purpose, the profile may optionally be in web-like strips or be wound up to form a roll or in the form of a section. Such a section of a profile, for sealing round or polygonal parts of a building or buildings, may advantageously be formed as a segment in a manner corresponding to said parts of the building, for example it is possible for a plurality of curved segments to be joined together to form a ring and thus to seal the foot of a circular-cylindrical part of the building. Such a segment may also be a corner element for an inner or outer corner and in addition, for angle adaptation to a corner which is to be sealed, may have partially overlapping side wings, with the result that corners which deviate from an ideal dimension can also be sealed reliably.

Also of particular advantage is an embodiment which, in the abutment region between two adjacent profiles or segments, has end sides which corresponds to one another such that, in the joined-together state, a gap for the sealant is produced, said gap being open in the outward direction from the building side, and the sealant penetrating into said gap and connecting two profiles or segments to one another in a water-tight manner.

The central part of the profile is quite important with regard to the invention. There, there is provided the necessary material reserve that allows the two wings to be displaced relative to one another. In fact, the “reserve” allows the profile to be stretched apart or compressed to a considerable degree, without losing its sealing property. Depending on the size of the profile strip and depending on the amount of reserve material, relative movements of, say, 10% or more of the width of the sealing profile are possible. In the case of, say, a 180 mm wide profile strip, this would translate, by way of example, in the strip to be stretchable (transversely) to nearly 200 mm or more in a flat configuration, without losing its sealing function. In the angled position, similar relative movements of the wings, and their underlying structures, are possible, without losing the functionality of the profile.

The fact that the central part is wholly or partially elastic is advantageous, in particular if, rather than gaps, expansion joints of buildings such as parking decks or flat roofs or terraces are to be covered using the gap seal. In the case of such a gap seal is a joint seal for a settlement joint, the central part extends preferably freely into a joint. For the installation of this embodiment, a hollow body filled with sealant is preferably disposed beneath each side wing, and may be retained there by retaining struts. In such an embodiment, the spikes for destroying the hollow body are likewise located beneath the side wings. Of course, the installation of such a gap seal may likewise take place by a separate application of the adhesive or resin to the corresponding building surfaces and/or the side wings of the profile such as, for example, with contact cement.

Also to be regarded as particularly advantageous is an embodiment of the profile in which the insides of the side wings, which are directed toward a corner, are provided with a profiling such as longitudinal or transverse grooves, corrugations, honeycomb formations or the like which are disposed rectilinearly or in an offset manner in relation to one another and may also have different heights. This, on the one hand, serves to increase the surface area and thus the adhesive strength of the sealant and, on the other hand, ensures a minimum layer thickness of the sealing layer. In an embodiment of a profile with grooves running vertically in the installed position it is possible for additional thin elastic lips to be inserted into said grooves as backflow-prevention means, in order to prevent the resin from flowing back out of the region of the side wings during the installation.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least the free surface of the profile is constructed in a rough state as contact surface, in order to ensure incorporation of further sheet materials, roof sheeting or insulation.

It is advantageous for an individual profile for an inner or optionally an outer corner to be constructed with side wings which are provided with correspondingly profiled contact surfaces on both sides, with the result that such a profile can be used even more universally.

Of course, it is also possible to produce a profile with side wings of different widths, and it is also possible for the width of the side wings to be varied as desired in relation to that of the central part.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a gap seal for building structures, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, sectional view of an inner corner on a foundation base with the gap seal positioned against it;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the gap seal profile according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a profile for a floor/wall connection with joint;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the gap seal profile according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a segment of a profile strip according to the invention, illustrating the contiguous, completely integrated relationship between the central part and the side wings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a gap seal for building structures. The gap seal is a profile 1 with a central part 2 and two side wings 3. The side wings 3, or simply wings 3, are glued or otherwise joined in sealing relationship against wall structures that define a joint therebetween. The structures here are a floor 8 and a wall 10. A variety of other structures are applicable here as well. The primarily important aspect resides in the fact that the two structures (e.g., 8 and 10) move or may move relative to one another to such an extent that renders a simple gap filler (e.g., elastomeric caulk, or the like) unsuitable for permanent sealing.

With reference to FIG. 2, the gap seal according to the invention is preferable formed as a continuous extruded strip. The wings 3 are formed of a relatively hard material, while the central part 2 is formed of a soft, elastomeric material. These parts are preferably co-extruded in a single strip, or co-extruded and glued, or merged, immediately following the extrusion die. Alternatively, they may be extruded from a single die, with the feeder hopper feeding the softer, elastomeric material centrally and the harder material laterally. The boundary between the central part and the wings is indicated diagrammatically with dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2.

By way of example, the side wings may be formed of a hard PVC material that is available from Nordchem S.p.A., Italy, under the designation Nordvil 1463/1—medium impact resistant extrusion hard PVC granulate (density, approx. 1.565 g/cm³). The central part may be formed of a soft TPE material that is available from Rottolin-Werk, Julius Rotter & Co. of Germany under the designation Rottolit—TPE—granulate soft (density, approx. 1.22 g/cm³).

FIG. 3 illustrates a further variant of a profile 51, which is provided, for example, for a floor/wall connection with a joint 58. Here, the elastic central part 52 is disposed such that it is oriented freely into the joint 58. The side wings 53 are secured, by a sealing layer (not illustrated in the figure), on the one hand on a sheet material 39 and on the other hand on an intermediate layer 55. The latter is positioned on the sheet material 39 and, for its part, is disposed on insulation 59, which is supported on the floor 8 of a building.

FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. Here, the central part 2 is formed with more “reserve” material than in the embodiment of FIG. 2. The relative movement allowance of the wings 3 is considerable greater because of the extra material. Again, the central part 2 is formed of soft, elastomeric material, while the wings 3 are formed of a much harder material. In addition, the wings 3 are provided with ribs 4 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the gap sealer strip 1. The ribs 4 are useful, for instance, in assuring better adhesion of the strip to the building structure and also as a reinforcement of the wing structure in the longitudinal direction. The central part 2 may be defined just inside the innermost ribs 4, or the innermost ribs of the structure may already be formed of the softer material.

FIG. 5 illustrates a partial length of a continuous profile strip. Here, the side wings 3 enclose an angle of approximately 100° and they are provide with ribs 4 only on one side, i.e., the contact surfaces to be glued and to seal against the structure surfaces. In light of the fact that the central part 2 is relatively soft and elastic, and it is formed with reserve material, the wings 3 can move in several directions relative to one another. 

1. A gap seal for a building structure, comprising: a water-tight profile strip having a central part and side wings integrally formed laterally on said central part; said side wings being formed of a relatively hard, relatively rigid material; said central part being formed of a relatively soft, elastic material and having a material reserve allowing said side wings to move laterally apart from one another while remaining integrally connected with said central part.
 2. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said side wings have a length and contact surfaces over said length to be coated with a sealant and to be glued to members of the building structure.
 3. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said profile is in a form selected from the group consisting of a web form in strips, wound up to form a roll, and a sectional piece.
 4. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said profile strip is constructed as a corner element for an inner or outer corner.
 5. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said central part and said side wings are formed in a single co-extruded strip.
 6. The gap seal according to claim 5, wherein said side wings have ribs formed thereon.
 7. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said side wings have contact surfaces to be glued to building surfaces and the contact surfaces are profiled with formed-on ribs.
 8. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said profile strip has one of said side wings glued to a wall and the other one of said side wings disposed on a projecting length of a slab that projects beneath a masonrywork of the wall, and said other side wing is secured on the floor slab by a sealing layer made of resin.
 9. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said side wings are formed with substantially planar surfaces constructed in a rough state similar to a contact surface.
 10. The gap seal according to claim 1, wherein said central part of said profile strip extends freely into a joint for use in a joint seal for a settlement joint. 